Digging for Diamonds
by anorehc
Summary: When Frank disappears after a diamond robbery Stark takes command of the St Hope's team. In his ignorant way Stark refuses to investigate a new teacher with connections to SKUL, but as the team begins to be targetted, will he see sense?
1. A Substandard Start

_A Substandard Start_

"Where's Frank?" demanded Oscar, striding out of the lift towards the Head of MI9. Carrie and Rose followed shortly behind.

"Agent London was seen by a witness fleeing the scene of a diamond robbery at 20:00 last night." explained the Head of MI9. "He hasn't been seen since, and nobody has heard from him. That is, unless any of you have?" The teenagers looked at each other, and then shook their heads.

"So, what's going to happen to us?" asked Carrie.

"Now, agents, I don't want you to take this badly, but it has been very difficult finding a _suitable _replacement."

"Temporary replacement." interrupted Oscar. The Head looked at Oscar, and continued,

"However, we have found one candidate who was the skills, knowledge, and time to spend as a replacement for Agent London. Agents I would like you to meet Chief Agent Stark." The spies looked at each other in surprise.

"Chief Agent Stark?" exclaimed Carrie. "But mam -"

"No buts, Carrie. As Oscar said, this is only a _temporary _arrangement." Stark stepped out of the shadows, a large grin on his face.

"Morning, agents." he greeted. "I would love to have a "get-to-know-each-other" session, but I feel I know you sufficiently, and it would be a waste of time. Until I can update you further, I think it is best that you return to school." The spies turned sharply around, and strode across to the lift. None of them spoke until they were all out in the corridor.

"Stark?" exclaimed Carrie. "She's got to be joking. I'll resign if I have to see his pitiful mug grinning at me everyday."

"It's not going to come to that." defended Oscar. "Frank wouldn't let that happen."

"Frank's not around, Oscar. We're going to have to sort this out by ourselves, whilst MI9 deal with the Frank mystery." said Rose.

"Don't tell me, they'll put their best men on it." replied Oscar, sarcastically. "Well, if they are anything like Stark then Frank has no hope. Which means neither do we." With this he strolled off down the corridor, leaving Rose and Carrie staring after him. They all felt the same: hopeless.

Oscar was nowhere to be seen when Carrie and Rose arrived to the classroom for morning registration. He didn't turn up for maths either. Carrie was beginning to get worried, when he came ambling in mid-lecture.

"And where have you been, Oscar?" demanded Mrs King, breaking from her talk on circle theorems. Oscar shrugged and sat down in his regular seat. Mrs King glared at him, before continuing with her speech.

"Where do you think Oscar has been?" asked Carrie. "Do you think he's investigating Frank on his own?"

"Oscar wouldn't do that." assured Rose, although she herself was not convinced.

Carrie was about to continue when Mr Flatley appeared at the door, a new teacher standing behind him.

"Good morning. I would like you all to meet Mrs Green. She'll be your new music and spanish teacher whilst Senuro Ashleys is away. I'd like you all to give her a warm St Hope's welcome." There was some attempted applause from the class, but overall there was little enthusiasm.

"Senuro Ashleys has been away for weeks already." whispered Carrie. "What's taken them so long to find a replacement?"

"Do you not think it's coincidence that Frank disappears and suddenly there's a new member of staff at St Hope's?"

"Should we take it up with Stark?" asked Carrie.

"No matter how much we dislike it, we're going to have to work through it." said Rose. "Or the country's lives could be at stake." Carrie nodded, raising her hand.

"Yes, Carrie?" asked Mrs King.

"I'm not feeling to great." said Carrie.

"Rose'll escort you to the nurse, won't you Rose?" suggested Mrs King, turning back to the board. The girls left, Oscar slipping out also, unnoticed.

They arrived at the lift in silence, the only sounds being that of the scanner when Carrie unlocked the door. When the lift doors opened into HQ, Stark was sitting at the computer desk.

"Yes?" he asked, turning around to face them.

"There's a new teacher arrived today." began Carrie.

"Do you waste your time investigating all new teachers?" inquired Stark, sarcastically.

"No," said Carrie, "but -"

"No buts. If it isn't important, drop it." said Stark, turning back to the desk. "I'll see you when there's a _mission_."

The spies left in silence, remaining so until they were out in the corridor once more.

"It is quite a coincidence." stated Rose. "And like my old leader Lenny said, there's no such thing."

"But Stark says its a no go." replied Carrie, "A dead end."

"What does Stark know?" agreed Oscar. "We're going to have to work this one out ourselves."

"I agree with Oscar." said Rose. "It's down to us."

"OK. So, where do we start?"


	2. The Plan

I'm sorry - it's been a long time coming. I'm hoping to finish it soon! Thanks for sticking with me :)

**I don't own any of the characters (other than Mrs Green and Senuro Ashleys!) :D**

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><p>"You'll never guess what." said Rose, joining the others at the lunch table. "I've been profiling Mrs Green." She scattered the papers on the table. "Lucy Poppy Green. Born 1977 in Peru. Everything fits. She really is who she says she is."<p>

"That's all very well, but I've been looking into her application and Oscar helped with CCTV." said Carrie. "By the time she applied by phone, yesterday, Frank had already left HQ. So nobody has checked her for her background or any relation to SKUL."

"So you think she's working with the enemy?" asked Rose.

"We know it." said Oscar, pulling out a SKUL radio from under the table. "I found this in her laptop case."

"What do SKUL want at St Hope's?" asked Rose.

"So far we've got a only a few ideas. All the basics."

"They know we're here, and we're MI9. They know there's a base and they want the information or they're looking for new recruits." listed Carrie.

"So that's our new priority then." said Rose. "We need to find out _why _SKUL are here. Oscar, you take surveillance. I'll use the spy-pod to check out SKUL's latest actions and Carrie I want you to analyse that phone conversation between Lucy and Mr Flatley."

"My computer skills are next to none!" complained Carrie.

"However you're more likely to be listening to an I-Pod in class than I am. You can do it, Carrie."

The trio departed as the lunch bell rang, watched unbeknown by Mrs Green. Carrie put her headphones in and sat at the back of maths, keeping a careful eye on Mr Thompson as he droned on about quadratic graphs. Oscar was missing from maths, keeping an eye on Mrs Green, whilst Rose was "working" in the library. It was soon the end of school and the trio met at the school gates.

"Nothing to report." said Oscar. "She was just teaching Spanish."

"The conversation was pretty average too," said Carrie. "I hope you found something."

"I did actually, look." Oscar and Carrie crowded around Rose's spy-pod where she had brought up an article written by MI9: **SKUL AT SCHOOL?**

"So they know there are agents here?" exclaimed Carrie. "Why didn't Frank tell us? Or at least tell Oscar! You can't come in tomorrow, until we sort this mess out."

"Why not?" exclaimed Oscar. "Its my job to cope with danger as much as it is yours."

"Carrie's right Oscar. You can work from home, but you can't come in. You're much more vulnerable to SKUL."

Oscar disappeared across the playground, out of the back gates and around the corner. Watching from the classroom window Mrs Green winced. They were on to her, but she had to get her hands on Oscar. There had to be a way.

Carrie and Rose turned up early the next day. Oscar was rejecting their calls on his communique, so Rose had left him messages of jobs that would help. Rose herself was going to attempt to access some SKUL files on their knowledge, or just dig deeper into how much MI9 knew of SKUL's knowledge. That left Carrie on surveillance. Rose went off to the library whilst Carrie went to class. Their first lesson was music, so Carrie didn't need to miss it. She kept a careful eye on Mrs Green all lesson, and at the end offered to help move the equipment to her next class. Everything seem to go well, despite losing sight of Mrs Green once on the way from one room to another, but she was in the classroom when Carrie turned up. Despite Stark's recent criticism of her surveillance skills she felt quite proud. That was, of course, until breaktime.

Rose had arranged to meet Carrie on the picnic bench where they sat in the Summer. It was empty when Carrie arrived, but she assumed Rose was just late. When Rose didn't show ten minutes later, Carrie bent down to pick up her bag and head back to lesson. Under the table she noticed a note stuck to the underside. She opened it carefully and read the message in horror:

_7 Merseyside Street. After school or Rose will not see tomorrow. Mrs Green._

_P.S. Let's make it a team effort, eh Carrie?_

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><p>Please R&amp;R! :D<p> 


	3. Note Noticing

Carrie felt her eyes burning with tears as she pocketed the letter and hurried out of the school gates. She knew her way to Oscar's house backwards, or rather the grocery store where he lived. She tried to keep an eye out for anyone following her, but she had other things on her mind. She stormed into the store, attracting the attention of an elderly couple pondering over the cauliflowers. Agent Thompson was behind the desk, assuming his role of shop keeper. He smiled at Carrie and waved her through. She took the stairs two at a time before she reached the landing, halting outside the second door on the left. She knocked. A few seconds later the door opened.

"Carrie?" exclaimed Oscar, opening the door wider so she could enter. "What are you doing here?" Carrie collapsed onto a chair and pulled the letter out of the pocket. Oscar read it several times, his expression turning to disgust.

"I'm sorry." she apologised. "I was rubbish at surveillance. I was watching her all morning, and I only lost her once, but she was in the classroom when I reached it."

"Everyone makes mistakes." comforted Oscar. "But we're going to need a plan."

"You can't come!" exclaimed Carrie. "If she's working for SKUL, it'll be you she wants." Oscar shook his head.

"I'm not allowing you to walk into the trap! If she wants me, then she can have me, so long as none of _you_ are involved, or hurt."

"We can't just allow you to walk in. She'll never let Rose go until she's bled MI9 dry!"

"We need to speak to Stark." Oscar concluded, although he wasn't sure why.

"Stark? That's not going to help! Are you not listening to me?" yelled Carrie, storming out of the room and down the stairs. Oscar grabbed his communicator and followed.

When he emerged into the shop a few moments later the elderly couple Carrie had seen were just leaving, two paper bags under their arms. Carrie herself was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Agent Thompson. He scanned the desk, looking for anything that might help, and noticed the notepad. There was a note scrawled in a spider-like handwriting:

_Don't ignore my previous message. We need your help and so I will take from you until there is nothing left. 7 Merseyside Street, and don't be late! Mrs Green._

Oscar tore the message from the book and pocketed it. He returned to his room gathering the few gadgets he'd collected from previous missions. He slipped into his school uniform, picked up his rucksack and rushed from the house. He ran to school, and was just turning the corner when he noticed the flashing lights. There were emergency vehicles surrounding the school, and the pupils and teachers were gathered on the pavement opposite. Catching sight of him, Mrs King called Oscar over.

"Oscar! You haven't seen Avril recently, have you?" she enquired.

"No." mumbled Oscar, slipping into line. "Why?"

"Never mind."

From what he could gather from the other students, there appeared to have been a gas leak at the school, and the pupils were to be sent home for the day. Rumour had it that Rose had started the leak, but Oscar knew differently. A movement by the street corner attracted Oscar's attention and he noticed Mrs Green watching. She beckoned with her finger and then disappeared.

When at last Mrs King dismissed the pupils, Oscar hurried to the street corner. There was nothing but another note. Oscar sank against the wall in despair. His life was collapsing around him, and he could do nothing about it, other than handing himself in. The sun was setting in the hills as Oscar dared to open the note, deciding what he would have to do:

_In a game of chess, Oscar Cole, the enemy is willing to hurt the pawns in order to claim the King. Time is running out! _


	4. Back to Black

**As before I do not own anything etc. Sorry about the short chapter, but I needed to link Chapters 3 and 5, yet had a bit of writer's block. It's not the best, but I hope its still enjoyable. I'm looking to upload the rest shortly...**

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><p>Oscar was pacing anxiously when Stark stepped out of the elevator shortly before 8am the next day.<p>

"Ants in your pants?" joked Stark, striding towards the computers.

"Rose has gone missing." blurted Oscar, following Stark. "Mrs Green has -"

"Do you have any evidence of her involvement?" interrupted Stark. Oscar withdrew her last note and handed it over. "Its not even signed! Do you expect me to act on this?!" Stark exclaimed, hurling the note across HQ. "Stop wasting my time, Oscar. I have _real _missions to be working on!"

Oscar left HQ angrily, stopping only to retrieve the note, flatten it out, and leave it on the floor of the elevator to nag on Stark's brain. He walked straight out of the school gate, despite Mrs King's continuous cries, and headed towards Merseyside Street. His team had supported him through some dark times, and he wasn't going to let anyone hurt them. It was a suicidal mission, but Oscar knew it was the only choice he had.

When he arrived at number 7 he walked confidently up the garden path, whilst butterflies waltzed in his stomach at double speed. Then he raised his fist and knocked. After a short delay the door clicked, and swung open to reveal Mrs Green.

"Oscar!" she smiled. "What a pleasant surprise!"

"Where are they?" Oscar glared, pushing his way past into the house. He began striding down the corridor towards the door at the far end, but before he'd made it halfway he felt a sharp blow to the back of his head, and he blacked out.

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><p><strong>Hoping to upload again this week. I do hope you are enjoying it so far!<strong>


	5. Speak of the Devil

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything but the writing... etc.**

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><p>Carrie flinched as the door creaked open and, as her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw Jade Dixon-Halliday at the top of the stairway. She was smiling.<p>

"Carrie!" she leered. "I've just got off the phone with Lucy." Carrie glared. "Its excellent news. In fact, I'm expecting a delivery any time soon." Carrie continued to glare. A shrill doorbell broke the silence. "Speak of the devil." Jade turned and left, leaving the door ajar.

She returned a few minutes later with a tall, burly bloke who was carrying a bundle in his arms.

"What is that?" demanded Carrie.

"She speaks!" laughed Jade, following the man down the staircase. Carrie glared. "That, as you so elegantly put it, is the reason you're here." As the duo reached the bottom of the staircase, Jade reached across and pulled the sheet of the bundle. It was Rose.

"WHAT?!" screeched Jade, staring in disbelief. "WHERE'S OSCAR?!" She looked menacingly at Carrie before turning heel and heading out, closely followed by the delivery man.

As soon as she had gone Carrie crawled across to where Rose lay. It took a while with her hands tied as they were, but she managed it and shifted Rose's head so it lay in her lap. She sat there for a good hour before she felt Rose stir.

"Carrie?" queried Rose, groggily.

"You're OK! Rose, I was so worried and-"

Rose cut Carrie off. "Where's Oscar?"

Carrie looked down sheepishly. "Nobody knows. Mrs Green was supposed to give him to Jade, but she double-crossed her." Rose sat up and put her arm around Carrie.

"He'll be alright."

"Of course he will." The sharp voice of Colonel Dixon-Halliday echoed down the staircase. The pair looked up at her. "And you're going to make sure of it."

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><p>When Oscar awoke his head was pounding. He went to reach up, but found his hands were tied. He looked around to gather in his surroundings. It was a small dark room. No, he decided, it was the back of a van. That explained the sense of motion. He shifted himself into a sitting position and racked his brains for a solution to his problem. He couldn't seem to remember much: the house, a door at the end, Mrs Green.<p>

The van jolted to a halt and Oscar heard the driver's door open and close. Then the rear doors opened and he had to shut his eyes at the sunlight.

"Take him inside." he heard the Spanish accent of Mrs Green. "I'll fetch the equipment."

There must have been some sort of consensus as Oscar felt two pairs of hands lift him from the van and carry him outside.

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><p>"I hope you're right about this, Rose." Jade said as she accompanied Rose to St Hope's. "For Carrie's sake." Rose shot an angry look at Jade.<p>

The pair continued inside, straight past a confused-looking Mr Flatley, and down the lift to HQ. Rose knew it was a risky move, but she couldn't bear Jade to start hurting Carrie. As the lift finished its descent, Stark looked up from the desk, and was shooting a quizical look at the doors as they opened.

"What on earth is she doing here?" demanded Stark, striding across the room.

"Getting my son back." replied Jade bluntly, striding towards Stark.

"She's got Carrie." Rose explained, staring at the floor. "We need to help her retrieve Oscar from the clutches of Mrs Green."

"The Spanish teacher?" asked Stark, looking at Rose in confusion.

"She was supposed to bring me my son. It was her idea to frame Frank and get into the school. We were supposed to be catching a plane out of the country tonight."

"Frank's innocent?" questioned Stark. Jade looked bemused.

"As sure as you're an idiot. Frank never stole any diamonds." For the first time in a while, Rose smiled.

"So Oscar's with Mrs Green?" confirmed Stark. "Exactly what do you expect us t-" A bright ringtone cut Stark off mid-speech. Jade pulled her mobile from her pocket, and stared at the screen in horror.

"What's wrong? What's up?" asked Stark.

In response Jade walked over to the computer's and attached her phone. A video popped up onto the screen. Rose noticed a boy lying motionless on the floor, covered in bruises and scrapes. She craned closer to get a better look. It was Oscar.

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><p><strong>Well, two uploads in one day. More to follow, I promise...<strong>


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